Australian Cycling has built it's reputation on hardened bike riders doing it tough all over the World but one man has built this image more than most. Stephen Pate (Patey) is one of the best all rounders Australia has ever seen representing his Country at World level in both Sprint and Endurance events.
His track record in the big Aussie Carnivals all over the Country is legendary and his ability to draw massive crowds with his staying power and exciting finishing speed made him the number one pick on every promoters list.
#cycle2max #trackcycling
Facebook Story Post:
I was going to label this video ‘Nemesis’ because everyone at some stage encounters one they could call their biggest arch-rival. Stephen Pate was certainly that for me and countless times we would trade blows on the track to try and gain superiority. This was mostly in the great Australian Carnivals (sadly disappearing) and more often than not I would come off second best.
Brushing the fence, crawling back into the race off the grass and dodging wheels, headbutts and elbows was a pretty standard race whenever I raced Patey. It was hard, tough racing and as much as we hated each other on the track, I’d like to think we built a healthy respect for each other off it. I know I had to use every skill in the handbook to perfection whenever we raced and in a lot of ways I have to credit Patey for making me into a much better bike rider than if I hadn’t raced him at all.
Many times we built an alliance as scratchmen to win the big prizes in the big handicap’s and in 1997 we joined up officially for the first time and raced a World Championship Madison together in Perth and ran a respectable 5th against some of the best six day teams and Countries in the World.
Without a doubt though, that year preparing and racing in T-Town in the US together was the most fun I ever had racing my bike and we cleaned up almost everything we raced along with a small crew of Aussies including Eddy Hollands, David Dew and Robert Tighello and occasionally Russell Tucker. Once the official racing was done, we went our separate ways and the gloves would go straight back on whether it was on the road or track.
These days I think we both enjoy seeing each other when we catch up at a rare event still surviving like the Austral Wheelrace and we remember the gladiator days of racing where the crowds were full, the arenas were spectacular and you earnt every cent as you fought to stay alive. It’s a pity because Patey was the King of the Carnivals so let’s not forget this on the basis of the Carnivals becoming extinct if we keep going the way we are!
Негізгі бет The King of the Carnivals - Stephen Pate
Пікірлер: 7